Folding crate.



H. R. DE LAYE.

FOLDING CRATE. AP'PLlcATloN man SEPT. 19, 191;

1,191,067. l Patented Ju1y11, 1916..

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' Jzfmm @may/e H. R. DE LAYE. FoLmNG. CRATE. APPLICATION FlLED SEPT-19| |913. y l Patented July 11, 1916.

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- HIRAM RICHARD DE LAYE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 19, 1913. Serial No. 790,719.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it-known that I, HiRAMi LAYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding crates and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a crate as indicated which consists of parts adapted. to be folded in close relation in order that the crate may occupy but little space during transportation or storage.

fith the above object in view the structure includes a bottom provided at its side edges with longitudinally disposed strips. Side panels are pivotallv connected with the strips and are provided with grooves which register with grooves provided at the inner Ysides of the strips. Said side panels are provided with threaded studs located at the inner surfaces of the panels. End panels are adapted to be received in the grooves of the said parts when the crate is set up and a top piece is provided with openings adapted to receive the studs. Nuts are screw threaded upon the studs and hold the parts in proper position. u

' ln the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crate showing the parts in set up position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the crate. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 1- is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. '5 is a transverse sectional view of the crate showing the parts col-v lapsed and secured. Fig. 6 is'a perspective view ofa portion of the crate. A

The crate includes a bottom 1 having at its side edges upstanding strips 2. Side pan-cls 3 are hingedly connected at their lower edges with the upper edge portions of the strip 2- and the said panels 3 are provided at their inner sides with grooves 4 which register witlr grooves 5 provided at the innery sides of the strips 2. Threaded studs G are secured to the inner surfaces of the side panels 3 and nuts 7v are screwed upon RICHARD DE I the grooves 4 and 5 of the panels 3 and strips 2 when the crate isset up. A top Patented July ii; raie.

panel 9 is providedin the vicinity of its corners with openings 10 adapted toreceive the upper portions of the studs 6 when the crate is set up. The panels 3 and 8 and the top 9 are in the form of open frames which are covered with wire netting of anydesired mesh. The top panel 9 is provided with hinged or slidable door sections 11.

The bottom l is provided in the vicinity of its center with openings l2 through which wire or cord may be passedfor the purpose I of holding the parts when collapsed.

lVhen the parts of the crate are in set up position the crate .may .be used for transporting poultry and when it is desired to return the crate the nuts 7 are removed from the ends of the studs 6. The end panels 8 are then slipped out of the grooves 4 and 5 and are laid upon the bottom l between the strips 2. The nuts 7 are then replaced upon the studs 6 and the side panels 3 are swung down over the end panels which are placed upon the bottom l. Thetop 9 is then placed over the swung down side panels 3 and a wire or cord is threaded through the openings 12 and through the end panels 8 and the ends of the said wire or cord are secured together. As shown in Fig. 5 a wire or cord may be placed around the structure when the parts are collapsed.

Thus the parts when in knocked down position are held in compact form for reshipment. Therefore it will be seen that a knock down crate of simple and cheap structure is provided and that the parts effectually coperate with each other to brace the entire structure when the same is in set up condition.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:-

A folding crate comprising a bottom provided at a point within, its edges withan opening adapted to receive a securing device, strips secured to two of the opposite edges of the bottom and provided at their inner sides with grooves, side panels lringedly connected with the Strips and provided at their inner sides with grooves which register with the grooves in they strips, end panels adapted to slidably fit in the said grooves, the combined thickness of lboth of the end panels being equal to the 4 ln testimony whereof lf affix my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

HRAM RICHARD Y DE LAYE.

Witnesses:

W., D. PARRISH, CEAS. B. Kmoonn. 

